Allen Onyema Rejects Aviation Unions’ Picketing Threat, Says Airlines Won’t Bow to Intimidation
By Admin, Lagos
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has strongly condemned plans by some aviation unions to picket Nigerian airlines over the ongoing dispute surrounding the remittance of Ticket Sales Charges (TSC), insisting that operators will not be intimidated.
Reacting to the unions’ threat, Onyema said airlines have no conflict with labour unions, stressing that their dealings are strictly with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and that operators have continued to comply with regulatory directives despite the industry’s difficult operating environment.
“If anyone believes airlines can be intimidated through picketing, they are mistaken. We are not afraid. If they want to shut down the industry, let them come,” Onyema said.
He described the proposed industrial action as an unusual approach to resolving financial disagreements, arguing that organised labour should not be used as a tool to pressure airlines over issues being handled by the aviation regulator.
According to him, Nigerian airlines are already struggling with rising operational costs, foreign exchange challenges, inadequate infrastructure and other industry constraints, making additional pressure from unions counterproductive.
Onyema cited repeated bird strike incidents as one of the operational challenges confronting local airlines, noting that some operators recorded dozens of such occurrences within a year despite paying statutory charges intended to support airport infrastructure and wildlife hazard management.
He explained that every bird strike leads to flight disruptions, aircraft downtime and significant financial losses, further worsening the financial burden on airlines.
“Airlines continue to lose revenue because of infrastructure deficiencies. Those losses affect our ability to meet obligations to suppliers and other service providers,” he said.
The Air Peace chairman questioned why airlines were being singled out instead of addressing the systemic issues affecting the aviation sector.
He also maintained that using labour unions to recover commercial debts or enforce financial obligations is not a practice common in the global aviation industry, urging stakeholders to focus on improving the operating environment rather than escalating tensions.
Referring to concerns previously raised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Onyema noted that Nigeria’s aviation industry has remained one of the most challenging business environments, pointing out that more than 50 airlines have shut down over the years due to the harsh realities of the sector.
He warned that any disruption to airline operations could have serious economic consequences, including job losses for thousands of workers across the aviation value chain.
According to Onyema, airlines have continued to participate in meetings convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development as well as the NCAA in search of lasting solutions to the dispute.
He reiterated that operators remain committed to working with aviation regulators but would not yield to what he described as attempts to intimidate the industry through planned picketing.
“We will continue to cooperate with the authorities, but we will not be intimidated. If they choose to proceed with the picketing, that is their decision,” Onyema said.
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